Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560 012, India
Optimization hinders evolution!
ME256 Variational Methods and Structural Optimization Jan.-May., 2019
Instructor: G. K. Ananthasuresh , Room 106, ME Building, suresh at iisc.ac.in
Lectures: Tu, Th: 08:30 AM - 10:00 AM; Venue: ME Lecture Hall

Project

Each student in this course is expected to demonstrate his/her understanding of the subject by way of a project. The project is usually a particular application problem in design optimization solved using the methods discussed in the course. Occasionally, an advanced topic may be taken up and a term-paper may be prepared. In such a case, an implementation of the methods described in either textbook or research papers must be implemented.

A presentation on the project is to be made at the end of the semster.

25% of the course grade is dependent on the performance in the project component of the course.

Project idea proposal

Your one-page description should include a clear mathematical statement of the problem with objective function, constraints, design variables, state variables, and data. If you do not have the mathematical expressions at this time, simply write it verbally. Provide a one-paragraph of background to the problem. Write one line about the best design you would hope for.

Some projects from 2015

• Robot path planning optimization based on potential field approach
• Minimizing the mean compliance of a 2-D truss from a given ground structure
• Optimal area profile for a given arch under self-weight
• Structural optimization of a bistable arch
• Optimization of a multi-segmented beam
• Optimization of an electro-thermally actuated structure
• Topology optimiozation of a 3D truss
• Minimization of dynamic mean compliance of a beam for time-varying load

Project update

1. Background to the problem
2. A clear mathematical statement of the optimization problem with objective function, constraints, design variables, state variables, and data.
3. Analytical derivation (as much as possible) for the sensitivity analysis and necessary conditions.
4. Update on numerical implementation
5. Plan for further work

Project presentation

1. Brief background and motivation for the problem
2. Problem statement in the standard form by clearly identifying...
   • the objective function
   • the design variables
   • constraints including governing equations
   • Lagrange multipliers
   • upper and lower bounds on the design variables (if any)
   • Data
   in words and mathematical form.
3. Sensitivity analysis
4. Method of solution
5. Results and insights
6. Any important observations and possibilities for further work